Pirates' Endy Rodriguez More Prepared For 2025 Season
In this story:
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodríguez was once one of the most prized prospects in their organization.
Now, after struggling in the big leagues after he was called up in 2023 and nearly missing all of the 2024 season due to a UCL injury, he has something to prove in 2025. With last year in the rearview mirror, the switch-hitting catcher is more than ready to reassert himself for Pittsburgh this season.
"Missing the whole year, I just want to get back, stay healthy the whole year and just give what I have," Rodríguez said. "I've been prepared the whole year for this. Now I know why it's [the] big leagues [and] I think I'm more ready than I was last year. The only thing I have to say is we've got to be ready because next year will be fun."
Rodríguez was once the No. 35 ranked prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and the Pirates' top prospect by Baseball America.
Rodríguez made a brief cameo at the end of last season, appearing in 10 games in the minor leagues before he was shut down due to an arm injury. He slashed .256/.293/.385 with one home run and five RBIs across 39 at-bats.
The 2022 season paved the way for the Pirates' switch-hitting catcher to ascend prospect rankings, as he batted .323/.407.580 with 25 home runs and 95 RBIs across High-A Greensboro, Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. Rodríguez was called up to the big leagues in the second half of the 2023 season and batted .220/.284/.328 with three home runs and 13 RBIs across 57 games.
With the emergence of Joey Bart last season, Rodríguez doesn't have a clear path to everyday playing time behind the dish. But if he can make the most of his playing time and become the player many expected him to be when he was a top prospect, the Pirates could have one of the better platoons behind the plate in 2025.
